Badge



Aug29,1944. H.- A. SLEEPER 2,357,231

BADGE Filed May 22, 1943 INVENTOR .Eepry H. Sleeper 4am; m1

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 29, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE BADGE Henry A. Sleeper, Sacramento, Calif. Application May 22, 1943, Serial No. 428,045

1 Claim.

This invention relates to badges for coat or similar garment wear by individuals, and particularly to a badge of the bar or ribbon type.

Some of the objects of the invention are to provide a badge of this general character which includes a relatively permanent body, and a badge element initially separate from the body and which may be easily mounted in place or removed, and which is protected from soiling or other damage while being readily visible; and a badge which as a whole is admirably adapted for individual identification purposes by school or convention groups, service personnel and like bodies.

Other objects are to provide a badge which is very light so that it does not exert any appreciable drag on the garment, while still being of good size; and one in which the badge or plate or ribbon itself is practically as large as the supporting body and, while protected throughout, is also visible over its entire area. The name or other insignia on the plate may therefore be of relatively large size and hence readily visible and legible.

A further object is to provide a badge so designed and constructed that no machine is necessary in assembling the parts of the badge, and whose manufacture as a whole may be performed very cheaply and with a minimum of labor.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawing similar character of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of the badge.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same somewhat enlarged.

Figure 3 is a somewhat enlarged front elevation of the body member, with the badge plate detached.

Figure 4 is an enlarged end elevation of the same.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the retaining sleeve or sheath detached.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal elevation of the name or badge plate detached.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the badge comprises a body I of a relatively long rectangular shape, made of light but stiff and relatively unyielding material such as a plastic composition. The body is formed with longitudinal top and bottom flanges 2 parallel to each other and set forward from the back face of the body so as to define a longtiudinal forwardly. facing channel 3 therebetween. Longitudinal reinforcing ribs 4, shallower than the channel, extend the full length thereof from the bottom.

A pair of longitudinally spaced holes 5 are drilled through the body from the bottom of the channel, through which the end hook B and the end spring 1 respectively of a safety pin 8 project toward the back end, by means of which the badge may be removably mounted on a coat lapel or the like. The hook and spring connecting bar 9 of the pin is bent back and forth transversely of the channel as shown at I0, and rests on the ribs 4. This feature prevents tilting of the pin and maintains the rearwardly projecting portions of the same substantially at right angles to the rear face of the body. The bar 9 projects forwardly from the plane of the front faces of the flanges 2 somewhat as shown in Fig. 4 and for the purpose which will be seen.

A flat badge strip or plate ll of light cardboard or similar somewhat flexible material and of a shape symmetric to the body, is adapted to extend in front of the body and engage the flanges 2, as well as the bar 9. This plate is retained in place by a light retaining sleeve or sheath I2 of transparent and thin but relatively rigid resilient material. This sheath is formed along the top and bottom with rearwardly disposed facing grooves or channels l3 which snugly and slidably engage the flanges 2, as shown in Fig. 1.

The sheath removably holds the plate. I l against undesired movement and unintentional removal, and protects the same from becoming soiled, without detracting from the visibility of the plate over its entire area. The sheath also holds the plate in contact with the bar 9, which in turn retains the bar and consequently the pin 8 as a whole against transverse shifting movement, without the necessity of securing the pin on the'body, and which would increase the manufacturing operations and cost of the badge.

The body, as well as the sheath and plate, being of light material, the'badge when mounted on a garment will not eXert any appreciable drag on the same, and yet the badge may be of such a size that any name or other data imprinted on the plate'may be of relatively large and clearly legible size.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail t pr sent and preferred construction of the deallel to each other and set forwardly from the face of the body to form a forwardly facing channel between such flanges, longitudinal ribs formed on the body within the channel and being of a width less than that of the channel, a safety pin having its hook and spring bar arranged at the back of the body, and a bar connecting the two;

the last named bar projecting through spaced apertures formed in the body and being bent back and forth within the channel, the bends thus formed resting in frictional engagement with w the ribs and such bar being of such diameter as to project slightly forwardly of the plane of the front faces of the flanges; a flat badge strip of a shape symmetric to the body adapted to extend in front of the body, and asheath having end flanges adapted to slide over the body flanges in snug frictional contact therewith, such sheath when in position friction-ally engaging the badge strip and holding it in frictional contact with the body flanges and with the forwardly projecting bends of the pin bar within the channel.

HENRY A. SLEEPER. 

